


The Last Bridge Run

by Dhalagirl



Category: Stormlight Archive - Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Book 04: Rhythm of War, Gen, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:33:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26137393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dhalagirl/pseuds/Dhalagirl
Summary: Kaladin and Bridge Four take their bridge to the construction site so it can become part of Navani's airship.
Comments: 16
Kudos: 44





	The Last Bridge Run

**Author's Note:**

> RHYTHM OF WAR SPOILERS!
> 
> If you haven't read chapter three of Rhythm of War then don't proceed. There's three sentences in that chapter that had me squealing with delight, followed by much cursing that we didn't get to experience the journey that proceeded that particular destination (if you catch my drift). It's been bothering me for weeks so I finally sat down and wrote it. It's not a parody or AU like my other work. I hope you like it!

The Final Bridge Run

“Excuse me, sir? Can you repeat that?” Kaladin had a difficult time believing what he’d just heard. This was either the greatest honor or his worst nightmare. It was too soon to know for sure.

Dalinar sat behind his desk with his hands clasped in front of him. Navani stood beside him. “We were hoping you’d be willing to allow Navani’s builders to use your bridge as building material for the new air ship.”

Definitely a nightmare.

Kaladin never realized until that moment how much that bridge actually meant to him. He knew what it meant to the men and how carrying it had unified them – that’s why he used it in Bridge Two’s training. But that was what the bridge meant to them as a tool. Like their spears it was an extension of who they were as soldiers. Kaladin never considered how it could have been more than that. What exactly he wasn’t able to put a name to but judging from how those words twisted his heart he was just as attached to that bridge as he was to any woman he’d courted.

Navani walked around the desk and gently pushed Kaladin backward. When the back of his knees touched the chair he collapsed into it. Navani laid her hand on his shoulder.

“We know how much that bridge means to you and your men,” she said. “That’s why Dalinar isn’t ordering you to do it. It’s more a matter of practicality. You know how scarce building materials are here and since we don’t have access to the royal,” Navani paused, “to the royal treasury anymore, we have to be more conservative in our expenditures.”

Kaladin nodded. The war against the Singers and the constant raids from bandits had made it harder and harder to get goods and supplies to Urithiru. The loss of the royal treasury had been one of many highly discussed topics in the meetings held after he, Shallan, and Adolin returned from Shadesmar. He looked at Navani’s face and saw how much it cost her to verbalize it. It wasn’t the financial loss that pained her. It was that it reminded her of Elkohar’s death. It was a loss, a failure that both of them shared and sadly neither of them had time to mourn. There was always another urgent matter that had to be dealt with first.

Syl landed on his knee. She looked up at him, her big eyes full of worry. That expression seemed to be a permanently affixed lately. It didn’t matter how many times he assured her that he was fine. She still worried. If anything it made her worry more.

“I’m afraid it’s not up to me,” Kaladin said. Navani’s brows furrowed. Dalinar however looked pleasantly surprised.

“I may be their captain but that bridge belongs to all of Bridge Four. I can’t allow it to be used in this way unless all of them agree.”

Dalniar nodded. “Very well. Talk to them as soon as possible and let us know what the verdict is.”

Kaladin stood. Syl flew up to his shoulder. He saluted and left. Kaladin walked to the lift and told the operator to take him down.

“Whew!” Syl said. “I thought for sure one of them was going to yell at you.”

“Why?” Kaladin said. He glanced over to the operator, expecting them to be looking at him like he was mad, but they weren’t. They stared straight ahead, counting the floors that they passed. Apparently he wasn’t the only one who had conversations with their spren.

“Because that’s what humans do when they don’t get their way, silly.”

“I don’t yell.”

“Well of course not! You sulk. You’re an expert sulker. The High Prince of sulkers.”

Kaladin winced. “I’m not that bad.”

Syl placed a finger on her chin as she thought. “Hmm…maybe not. But you’re still the best at it.”

The operator stopped the lift.

“Thank you?”

“Just doing my job, sir.” The operator said.

Kaladin exited the lift before anything else he said to Syl could be misconstrued. “I don’t sulk that much. There’s got to be someone who does it more than I do.” Kaladin headed for Sigzil’s office. “What about Renarin?”

“Renarin doesn’t sulk. He’s just…strange.”

The small room that Sigzil used as his office had probably been a closet in Urithiru’s glory days. Like many of the rooms here it didn’t have a door but Sigzil had somehow developed the skill to ignore everyone who walked by except for those who needed to speak to him. As expected he looked up the moment Kaladin crossed the threshold.

“How soon can we get everyone from Bridge Four together for a meeitng?” Kaladin asked.

“It could take quite some time.” Sigzil picked up his clipboard and flipped to the schedule. “If it is an urgent matter I can reassign a few people. You could also catch them during tonight’s meal.”

“It’s not urgent but I think Navani would like an answer as soon as possible.” Kaladin leaned over Sigzil’s shoulder to look at the schedule. Most of them were on various training or guarding assignments until the evening meal. It was tempting to give in to convenience but tonight was stew night and Rock would never forgive him if he ruined everyone’s appetites. Storms, the men probably wouldn’t thank him either. Everyone looked forward to stew night.

“Tell them to stay in the mess hall afterward for a quick meeting. This shouldn’t take long.”

Sigzil wrote it onto the schedule. Kaladin left him to his work. He’d make sure everyone got word. Besides, Kaladin had his own duties to see to.

__________________________

“Ha!” Lopen slapped his thigh. “That’s a good one, Gancho! The Lopen loves a good joke.”

All of the remaining members of Bridge Four sat in front of Kaladin. Even Renarin was here. Their faces were all as cold as the stone walls around them. All except for Lopen, of course. He used a single lashing to sit cross-legged on the wall.

“It’s not a joke. They’re very serious about it but they were clear that they won’t use it without our permission.”

Kaladin hoped that Syl wouldn’t lecture him later about lying. While Dalinar hadn’t said those exact words the implication was clear enough. She was inconsistent when it came to things like that. One minute the matter was black and white and the next it was all shades of grey. When he asked her to explain the difference she would roll her eyes and say that it was a clear as rain and his head was full of crem for not seeing the difference.

“Our permission?” Skar asked.

Kaladin nodded. “I told Dalinar that it needed to be a unanimous decision. The way I see it, the bridge belongs to all of us. To be honest, it’s taken me all afternoon to figure out how I feel about it and I wish I could give you time to think about it as well but I do need to give them an answer soon.”

“What are they going to do with it?” Drey asked. “If it’s going to be kindling so they can make nails then my answer is no.”

“No.” Kaladin shook his head. “It’s going to be incorporated somehow into Navani’s airship.”

“It will most likely become part of the deck,” Renarin said. “I don’t know what level but using it that way makes the most sense. Sturdy boards like that are too valuable to burn.”

Kaladin nodded. Several of the men did too.

“I don’t know,” Leyten said. “The idea of people walking on it like it’s an ordinary floor—”

“How is that any different from when Sadeas’ troops walked across it?” Teft said.

Rock shook his head. “Even in almost proper air you are still airsick lowlanders. Bridge is meant to be useful, yes? Becoming air ship will make it useful again.”

“He’s right, gon,” Lopen said. Wisps of Stormlight leaked from his mouth as he spoke. “That ship is big enough to span three chasms! With our bridge it’ll become a superbridge!”

The last of Lopen’s Stormlight ran out. He fell to the floor with a loud thud. Lopen scrambled to his feet and leaned nonchalantly against the wall. Kaladin shook his head.

“Rock has a point,” Kaladin said. “Right now it’s just sitting in the Kholin warcamp. Now that we’re training Windrunners and not soldiers we don’t need it for drills.”

Syl made herself more opaque so all of the men could see her. “The bridge will be able to fly like the rest of you.”

“What?” Kaladin said.

“You heard me,” she said with her hands on her hips. “The rest of you can fly so why shouldn’t your bridge fly too?”

Rock made his ritual salute to Syl. “Now is discussion ended. _Mafah’liki_ has spoken.”

There were a few eye rolls and subtle headshakes but no one said anything. Not that it would have done any good if they had. Once Rock took on that reverent tone, especially when a spren was involved, the discussion was truly over.

“Raise your hand if you’re okay with Dalinar and Navani’s plan for the bridge.”

Rock and Lopen raised their hands right away. Teft, Skar, Hobber, and Sigzil soon followed them. One by one hands were raised. Some tentatively but still raised. However there was one who refrained.

“Renarin?” Kaladin prompted.

“I don’t feel that I deserve a vote given the circumstances.”

“All right. If you’re sure.” Kaladin wanted to insist that he vote anyway but he was right. He hadn’t carried it into battle so he wasn’t as attached to it as they were. Plus being Dalinar’s son would put his vote in a suspicious light, regardless of how he voted.

Kaladin raised his hand, casting his vote. “It’s settled then. Thank you. I’ll let Dalinar and Navani know. Dismissed.”

The men filed out. From the way most of them walked it looked like they’d just decided to execute someone. Perhaps they were right.

_______________________________

A few days later they gathered again. This time they stood in the Kholin warcamp on the Shattered Plains, near their former barracks, where their bridge was stored. Thanks to some creative scheduling by Sigzil not only was every remaining original member of Bridge Four here but they were also able to sneak in a short drill the day after their meeting. It was a good thing too because word must have had spread through Urithiru. It looked like every Windrunner and half of the Edgedancers were here.

Navani was already at the airship construction site overseeing preparations. Dalinar on the other hand had insisted on accompanying Kaladin and his men to the Plains. Having him here put Kaladin at ease. It wasn’t simply because it made it easier for them to keep him safe. Dalinar’s presence quieted Kaladin’s lingering fears that Dalinar didn’t realize how much he and Navani were asking of them.

Dalinar walked over to Kaladin. The crowd parted for him. “I’ve called for a cart to carry the bridge. It should be here soon.”

“Thank you, sir, but that’s not necessary. We’ll carry it.”

Dallinar frowned. “You’re not a bridgeman anymore, son. You don’t need to do that.”

Kaladin squared his shoulders. “Yes, we do. Journey before destination.”

Dalinar relented with a nod. He sent one of the Edgedancers to cancel the order for the cart. “We can proceed whenever you and your men are ready.”

“Positions, men,” Kaladin called out.

Bridge Four took their assigned positions without hesitation. Lopen and Dabbid stood nearby. They had canteens and packs filled with whatever Rock intended to serve them later strapped to their backs. The men who would take positions on the inside waited beside the bridge at ease. All of the outside positions were manned except for one – the center front position. Kaladin’s position.

Kaladin walked to the front of the bridge and took his place. The crowd took notice. Conversation ceased and all eyes were directed at them.

“Bridge up.” Kaladin ordered.

They raised the bridge in one smooth motion, just as they had in the old days, and settled it on their shoulders. Their coats gave them some welcome padding that they would’ve loved to have before. Kaladin waited while the others got into position on the inside. When the jostling ceased, he knew they were ready.

“Forward.”

They marched forward at a slow and steady pace. In their drills they ran with it for a short distance – simply because they could – but today, especially with such a large crowd, they would keep it at a measured pace. They weren’t in a hurry to deliver their burden to the construction site.

The vessel was too large to build it in the lumberyard so they had to construct it on a large plateau nearby. It was two plateaus away from the Kholin camp. Normally the distance was a burden to the construction crew but today Kaladin was thankful for it. It gave them more time before they had to surrender it. He felt ridiculous for being grateful to have a few more minutes with the weight he never asked to bear and certainly never expected to willingly bear again.

Dalinar and his honor guard walked a short distance ahead of them. The crowd parted for them as they proceeded to the first permanent bridge. The Windrunners made the Bridge Four salute as they passed. No one spoke. The only sound on the plains was that of their boots on the rocky ground. Kaladin couldn’t keep himself from watching the crowd as they marched by, in the shade of their bridge. Every face was a mix of solemnity and curiousity that felt out of place to him. Awespren manifested above a few heads. The blue halos spread across the sea of faces like raindrops on a lake.

“What’s wrong, Kaladin?” Syl asked.

“Nothing. I’m just puzzled. It’s like they’re watching a royal funeral.”

There certainly were enough Highprinces and officers present for this to qualify as a small royal event but there wasn’t any pageantry or even a body. There certainly weren’t any ardents. _Would I be bearing Elkohar’s body if we’d been able to bring him back?_ Kaladin quickly pushed the thought out of his mind before the pang of guilt made Syl worry about him more.

“Ooh! The Windrunners are forming ranks behind us,” Syl said.

“Did you instruct them to form up behind us?” Kaladin asked Teft, who was to his left.

“No. It wasn’t you?”

Kaladin wasn’t about to order them to stop but it made this afternoon even more puzzling. Why was everyone giving us the same reverence as a funeral procession?

Kaladin glanced over to Teft and Skar, who marched on Kaladin’s right. Skar looked like he was holding back tears and Teft’s expression was so grim it made Kaladin wonder if someone actually had died.

 _It’s us!_ The gravity and the pace at which they moved conveyed their sorrow. To the gathered assembly they looked like they were bearing a pyre.

 _Perhaps we are_. Perhaps in this case the body and the pyre were one.

They continued their slow march out of the warcamp and onto the open plains. The guard posted at the first permanent bridge saluted to Dalinar. They stood aside and continued saluting while Bridge Four crossed to the next plateau.

Now that there weren’t buildings in the way the airship was in clear view. Normally seeing it was a highlight of his day. He liked seeing their progress. The massive platform that formed the bulk of the ship was mostly complete. The holds and cabins inside the deck functioned the same as those on an ocean vessel. They were just much larger. When finished it could easily hold two or three battalions in addition to the crew. A lot had been accomplished in the past few days. Navani must have pushed them to have everything ready for their contribution.

With each step they drew closer and the knot in Kaladin’s chest tightened. Syl flew behind him. A moment later he felt her arms wrap around his chest and her head on his shoulder.

“I’m okay, Syl.”

She didn’t release him and he didn’t press her to. To be honest he actually felt a little better. Kaladin hoped that the spren that had bonded other bridgemen were as kind.

They were close enough now that Kaladin could see Navani waiting for them on the other side of the last bridge. Dalinar lengthened his stride. Kaladin let him. He probably wanted to have a few words with her privately before they arrived. As it was they crossed the last bridge a few minutes after Dalinar. The crowd stayed back, in part because the ship took up most of the platform and there wasn’t enough room for all of them but also because the guards at the bridge wouldn’t let them cross. They weren’t authorized personnel.

“You can set it down there.” Navani pointed to the rope and pulley next to the ship. “The chulls will lift it into place.”

Kaladin was about to point out that they could lift it into place themselves but thought better of it. This was her project and she was well aware of their capabilities. If Navani thought that a pulley was better than a lashing then he wasn’t going to go against her decision.

They marched the bridge over to the pulley. A workman guided them into position. Four more workmen approached and tied ropes to the handholds in the four corner positions. Once tied the first workman signaled the chull drivers. The ropes slowly became more taught. It wasn’t until the bridge was rising off of their shoulders that the head workman motioned for them to come out.

Kaladin stood before the bridge. It hung at eyelevel. Kaladin laid a hand on the rough surface. It still bore notches and scratches from the thousands of arrows that struck during their runs.

“Thank you for protecting us and helping us to become what we are now.”

He stepped away and joined the rest of Bridge Four who had joined Dalinar and Navani. Lopen and Dabbid were passing around the canteens and helping Rock pass out flatbread and jerky.

“Worked up an appetite?” Dalinar asked.

“It’s tradition,” Kaladin answered. Dabbid passed him a canteen. “When we did bridge runs we’d have Lopen and whoever was injured carry water, and whatever supplies we could get away with. We weren’t allowed to drink the army’s water so we had to bring our own.” Kaladin took a drink and gave the canteen back to Dabbid.

Dalinar shook his head. “The more I hear about these runs the more I wish I’d traded that blade sooner.”

Kaladin used his hand to shield his eyes from the sun. “If you had we might never have become Bridge Four or even Windrunners. We are what and who we are because we survived that hell.” Kaladin watched the bridge sway in the air as the chulls pulled it higher. “It unified us.”

Teft clapped him on the shoulder and handed him a piece of flatbread. “Nah, that was you.”

“I can’t take all the credit.” Kaladin would rather not take any of the credit but he couldn’t deny that he was the instigator. Syl flitted in front of him and gave him a satisfied nod.

“No, I suppose you can’t,” Teft said before he walked away.

About half of the crowd left at that point. They saw what they came to see. The others remained on the first plateau and watched from afar.

Once the bridge was high enough, workmen on the deck used ropes to swing it over the deck. It took them a while to get it into place. Kaladin found himself taking a step forward when they started lowering it.

“If you stay out of their way,” Navani said, “you can watch from the deck.”

Kaladin sucked in a bit of Stormlight and took to the air. He landed on the platform. The rest of Bridge Four followed suit. Leyton brought Dabbid up with him. Dalinar and Navani joined them a few minutes later, having taken the stairs up to the deck. They stood near the bow of the ship and watched the workmen guide the bridge into a hole in the deck. More workmen stood on some scaffolding inside the hold directly below them. When the bottom of the bridge was a foot above the deck they halted its descent.

The men on the scaffolding supported it from below while the men on the deck untied the ropes. Once the ropes were free they lowered the bridge and nailed it into place. Every strike of the hammer made Kaladin wince. Thankfully it didn’t take long for them to secure it into place.

The bridge stood out. It looked like someone had shoved a dun chip in a pouch of freshly infused topaz bromes.

“Well,” Teft said. “At least they didn’t have to chop it up. I’m not sure I could have watched that.”

Kaladin nodded.

Navani approached them. “I’m told that every vessel needs a name. I’ve discussed the matter with my secretaries and the only name we’ve come up with that feels right is Fourth Bridge. What do you think?”

Kaladin looked to his men. One by one they all nodded. Kaladin turned back to Navani. “We like it.” Kaladin gave her a Bridge Four salute. “And we’re honored.”

“That’s settled then.” Navani checked the time on her fabrial. “It’s getting late. We should head back.”

Dalinar nodded. He put his arm around her waist and walked to the stairs. Kaladin looked at the rectangular section that was formerly their bridge. He walked up to it and knelt beside it. This time he didn’t say anything. There wasn’t anything else to say at this point. He laid his hand on it for a moment. Syl landed next to him and did the same. When he rose she flew up to take her favorite spot on his shoulder. He walked to the edge of the platform and inhaled some Stormlight so he could take the easy way down.

Rock walked up to the section, knelt to touch the wood, and then rose to join Kaladin. Teft, Skar, Drehy, Layton, and the others lined up. One after another, they all knelt, touched that scarred section, and joined Kaladin and Rock at the edge, forming a line on both sides. When the last man finished they all turned to face the sun. It was low in the sky but still hours away from setting. Below them he could see the remaining crowd making their way back to the Oathgate – Edgedancers on the ground and Windrunners in the air. Dalinar and Navani emerged from the bowels of the ship. Dalinar turned around and looked up at them.

The Stormlight within Kaladin made him glow softly. A gentle wind rustled their coats. The others who were able to, inhaled a small amount of light from their pouches. Kaladin pushed off and slowly descended to the ground, landing a few paces from Dalinar and Navani. The rest of Bridge Four landed a heartbeat after him. Hobber brought Dabbid down with them.

“If we take the fast way back we can beat the crowd,” Kaladin said.

Navani looked up at Dalinar. “Rank has its privileges, does it not?”

Dalinar chuckled. He filled all of Bridge Four with Stormlight. Kaladin lashed Dalinar and Rock did the same to Navani. As one they pushed off the ground and flew back to the Oathgate.


End file.
